Swamp Thing
| Swamp Thing | |
|---|---|
 Character art of Swamp Thing (Alec Holland) by co-creator Bernie Wrightson, taken from a splash page of Swamp Thing #6 (October 1973). | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Alexander Olsen: House of Secrets #92 (July 1971) Alec Holland: Swamp Thing #1 (October–November 1972) Levi Kamei: Infinite Frontier #0 (May 2021) |
| Created by | Len Wein Bernie Wrightson |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Alec Holland |
| Species | Plant elemental |
| Team affiliations | Justice League Parliament of Trees Justice League Dark Lords of Chaos Justice League United |
| Partnerships | Poison Ivy John Constantine Abigail Arcane |
| Supporting character of | John Constantine |
| Notable aliases | Avatar of the Green, The Force of Nature, Guardian of the Green |
| Abilities | Often the embodiment of the cosmic energies connected to all plant life ("The Green"), he possess various powers in which includes:
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Swamp Thing is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. While several incarnations of the character have since debuted, the original was created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson and first appeared in House of Secrets #92 (July 1971). The character found perhaps its greatest popularity during the original 1970s Wein/Wrightson run and in the mid-late 1980s during a highly acclaimed run under Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben.
In each incarnation of the character, the Swamp Thing is often depicted as a swamp monster that resembles an anthropomorphic mound of vegetable matter seeking to protect nature. Known as the Avatar of the Green, Swamp Thing is an the embodiment of the cosmic energies that gives life to all plant life in the known universe (dubbed "The Green") and is considered the champion of the Parliament of Trees, the collective guiding and collective consciousness of all plant life.
The first Swamp Thing was Alexander Olsen, a scientist who was killed by his assistant vying for the affections of his wife. Returning as a swamp creature after his body is dumped, he takes revenge on his killer, but his wife runs off, unable to recognize him. He later becomes a local legend in Louisiana.
The most well-regarded incarnation is the second version, Alec Holland. Once a chemist working on a compound to enable plant growth in hostile environments, Holland is seemingly transformed by his own creation after his death at the hands of criminal elements. In some stories he is a plant creature believing himself to be Alec, possessing his memories, while later stories make him the genuine Alec who transforms into the Swamp Thing. This version is also a reluctant ally of John Constantine and a later member of the Justice League Dark, considered a powerhouse among their ranks.
In 2021, a new incarnation is created as Levi Kamei, a young Indian scientist descended from a tribunal connected to the Kaziranga wetlands, whose power awakens following a tragedy. This version exists concurrently within the mainstream DC Universe alongside Alec and is more prominently a roster member of the Titans.
The character has been adapted from the comics into several forms of media, including feature films, television series, and video games. The character made his live-action debut in the film Swamp Thing (1982), with Dick Durock playing the Swamp Thing, while Ray Wise played Alec Holland. Durock played both Swamp Thing and Holland in the sequel film The Return of Swamp Thing (1989). Durock reprised the role again in the television series Swamp Thing (1990). The Swamp Thing was played by Derek Mears with Andy Bean playing Alec Holland in the television series Swamp Thing (2019). Another live-action film adaptation, titled Swamp Thing, is in development as an installment of the DC Universe (DCU) media franchise. IGN ranked him 28th in the Top 100 Comic Book Heroes list.